Research Methodology Dr Unnikrishnan P C Professor EEE

Research Methodology Dr. Unnikrishnan P. C. Professor, EEE

Dr. Unnikrishnan P. C. l l l BTech. : EEE, NSS College of Engineering, 1981 -85. MTech: Control & Instrumentation, IIT Bombay, 1990 -92. Ph. D. : EEE, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, 2010 -2016.

Dr. Unnikrishnan P. C. l l l 1986 -1996 : Assistant Professor and Associate Professor, Rajasthan Technical University, Kota, India 1996 -2016 : Assistant Professor, Academic Coordinator, Registrar, Head of Section and Head of the Department at Colleges of Technology, Ministry of Manpower, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. 2016 - Till Date : Professor, EEE, RSET

Books & References

Module I q Meaning of Research

What Is Research ? • Research is a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. • It is the pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and experimentation

What Is Research ? …… 1. Research is undertaken within a framework of a set of philosophies 2. Should use procedures, methods & techniques that have been tested for validity & reliability 3. Research should be unbiased & objective

Motivation In Research • • • To get a research degree and its consequential benefits. Desire to face the challenge to solve an unsolved problem. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work. Desire to be of service to society. Desire to get respectability. 12

Objective of research The Purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific procedure. Research objectives are grouped as : 1. Exploratory or formulative research studies : 2. Descriptive research studies 3. Diagnostic research studies 4. Hypothesis testing research studies

Objective of research 1. Exploratory or formulative research studies : To gain familiarity or insight with a phenomenon. It is an important part of any marketing or business strategy. It is most commonly used for further defining company issues, areas for potential growth, alternative courses of action, and prioritizing areas that require statistical research.

Objective of research …… 2. Descriptive research studies : To portray the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group. Descriptive research: Someone who is studying the effects of a river on wildlife can observe the wildlife near and far from the river to come up with a few basic ideas about how the two items are connected.

Objective of research …… 3. Diagnostic research studies : To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else. Eg. : diagnostic workup for patients suspected of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

Objective of research …… 4. Hypothesis testing research studies : To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.

Examples A hypothesis is put forward that children who take vitamin C are less likely to become ill during flu season than those who do not. A hypothesis test is conducted where a sample group of children is given vitamin C for three months while another group is not. As it turns out, the alternative hypothesis is confirmed.

Examples Several scientists observe that during the winter, a certain bird’s feathers become white, camouflaging these birds from predators. Hypothesis testing is conducted on a population of birds and discovers that indeed a significant number of the birds’ feathers do change color for the winter.